At a high school like Lowell, with many high-achieving students of all genders, the underrepresentation of women in academic fields can seem like an issue of the past. But for the few female students in classes like AP Physics C and AP Calculus BC, the problem is much harder to dismiss.
Low female enrollment is an issue that has plagued advanced STEM classes at Lowell for years. In 2020, 23 out of 61 students (37.7 percent) in the combined AP Physics C classes were female; this year, that ratio has fallen to 10 in 70 (14.3 percent). Many science teachers have actively taken efforts to address this problem, organizing events including a 2023 online panel with Ignite Worldwide, a nonprofit that seeks to make STEM opportunities more accessible to girls. However, these efforts, while certainly helpful, have not led to long-term improvements to the issue.
Gender disparities in fields centered on math and science are not unique to Lowell. Despite the growing openness of STEM fields to women, barriers still exist that cause certain fields to remain male-dominated. Both overt discrimination and more subtle societal messaging dissuade women from pursuing an education or career in these fields, reducing the percentage of women who hold prominent positions. The lack of representation becomes a positive feedback loop, as fewer perceived opportunities for women in STEM discourage girls from pursuing scientifically oriented careers. These social influences have tangible impacts on the choices that girls make in their high school educations, including schedule decisions at schools like Lowell.
Some may argue that gender imbalances in STEM classes are not a pervasive issue at Lowell, and point to the gender ratios of classes like biology and chemistry as proof. It’s true that male-dominated gender ratios are not observed uniformly across the scope of STEM subjects, both at Lowell and on the national level. In 2025, for instance, 62.0 percent of students in AP Biology at Lowell are identified as female, while a 2020 study by the National Science Foundation found that although approximately 29 percent of physical scientists are female, women make up nearly 50 percent of life scientists. These discrepancies may be a result of other societal beliefs and associations about the fields in question. Ties to fields like healthcare and environmental justice can make the natural sciences appear to be more emotional in nature than math-based sciences like physics, making the former seem to be more aligned with ideas of “feminine” working roles within society while the latter is based on more “masculine” skills and rationality. This reasoning is visible throughout our culture and society, including in media for young children. Think Doc McStuffins, then think Jimmy Neutron. While both are portrayed as scientifically gifted children, McStuffins is portrayed as a nurturing caretaker, while Neutron is depicted as an eccentric child genius whose motivations are often self-serving. These recurring portrayals can lead adolescent girls to develop gendered associations to different fields, affecting the subjects they choose to study and careers they may seek out in the future.
Even if it’s difficult to track down exactly why fewer girls take advanced STEM classes at Lowell, the issue is nonetheless deserving of further attention. No matter the root cause of the problem, it is a disservice to everyone when women are left out of the sciences. Countless female mathematicians and physicists have made crucial contributions to society and modern scientific knowledge. Additionally, careers in STEM are associated with high-paying careers, providing an avenue for women to reach financial success. Accordingly, Lowell has many intelligent and hardworking students of all genders, many of whom would likely enjoy and excel in classes that currently feature low female enrollment.
Lowell should support and expand existing efforts to increase female enrollment across the range of its STEM courses. The consistent organization of events and opportunities specifically designed to increase female students’ involvement in STEM could be immensely impactful towards reaching more balanced gender distributions in classes like AP Physics C. There are many organizations in the U.S. that provide high school girls with opportunities such as panels, field trips, and guest speakers in order to increase interest and involvement in STEM. Utilizing these resources consistently could help counteract the current lack of girls in STEM classes. Leaving the organization of these efforts up to individual teachers shifts the responsibility away from the systemic level and limits their reach, in addition to the increased burden of time and effort it imposes on teachers. The school has a duty, and an incentive, to counteract the influences of societal messaging and encourage more girls to get involved in STEM. Until further progress is made, this issue should be one of urgent priority.
